Christmas, 2023, A Kahlua Christmas

Christmas, 2023

Me, Wrapping Gifts Above

Christmas Cards, and Pretty Baubles

I Love My Table! All Lit up with Vintage!

I just happen to love wrapping gifts!

Some, I may wrap in beautiful vintage wrap, and others I may wrap in cheap Dollar Tree gift wrap, it depends on the gift, and it depends on the person, as to how I wrap anything. It also depends on the amount of time that I have allocated for the project.

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Washing The Punch Bowl and Cups

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Vintage Punch Bowl Project

(This was all done prior to our Christmas.)

The Finished Results

This project just sort of evolved as I went along.

I purchased a beautiful Silver Punch Bowl online that came with a Silver Tray, and about 20 Silver Cups.

I also had many Vintage Pink/White/Silver Ornaments.

Readying The Project

I Do So Love The SHINY!

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I placed a Silver Tree into the Punch Bowl, and then placed many plastic bags for stuffing around the tree. I then added the beautiful vintage ornaments all around it.

I Love the Reflections!

I think it looks beautiful!

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If You Would Like To View My Merry Christmas Blogging:

Click Here For: Merry Christmas Blogging

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Here, I photographed all the Edible Gifts to be Given Before Christmas

I’ve Got Quite a Few Too!

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I Found a Lovely Container of Christmas Bling!

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Our Christmas Dinner Table

I placed a Christmas Tree skirt under the table, along with a lovely Table Cloth on top.

Lights, Baubles, and Bling

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Our Christmas Cocktails

This year I wanted a few different ones to choose from.

In keeping with my Kahlua Christmas I also created a Kahlua Coffee Cocktail. It included a cocktail made out of 1/3 Kahlua Coffee, (already cooled), 1/3 My Homemade Kahlua, and 1/3 Vodka. It truly is an excellent cocktail.

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Disney’s Haunted Mansion Goblets

(Even though it is Christmas, these are gifts for our son-in-law. He loves The Haunted Mansion and I found all this great stuff online which I knew he would love for Christmas, or rather, Halloween next year.)

I had a few bowls of nuts, the Kahlua Cocktail, some Liquor Chocolates, Brandy, My Homemade Kahlua, Various Wines, and Screwball Egg Nog.

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This Table is About Silver Platters, Paper Plates, Cutlery, Napkins, and Cranberry Juice

The Cranberry Juice

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Mae With The Fancy Chocolates

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Isabelle with her Uncle Brodie

Veronica, Isabelle, and Brodie

Father/Daughter

Little Mary Jane’s

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In November, 2023, I had made some homemade Kahlua using Gordon’s deceased Aunt Susy’s recipe. I decided that I wanted to not only give everyone my homemade Kahlua for them to enjoy at home, but I also wanted to create foods where I would use the Kahlua. Turns out, Kahlua tastes good in most everything!

Click Here For: Making Kahlua for Christmas

You can click on the link above for the recipe to make your very own.

I give you the recipes where I used the Kahlua for this really nice Kahlua Christmas.

(See Down Below)

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Our 2023 Christmas Dinner

Our Menu:

Kahlua Ham

Kahlua Baked Beans

Kahlua Sweet Potatoes

Deviled Eggs

Brussels Sprouts

Sausage Balls

Drunken Devils on Horseback

Julie’s Orange Jezebel Cocktail Sausages

Dinner Rolls

And, Isabelle’s Dinner

(Recipes Down Below)

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Isabelle’s Beauty and the Beast Gifts From Me and Gordon

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Me, Pretending to Carve the Ham

Brodie, Actually Carving the Ham

I am quite proud of my Kahlua Ham

It Was Delicious!

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Veronica and Mackenzie Ready to Dig In

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Isabelle’s Beauty and the Beast

I had set this aside for her. Baby food and all.

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Brodie and Mackenzie

Isabelle and Aunt Mackenzie

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(I bought good sturdy paper plates for this dinner. I wanted to cut corners somewhere so that clean up would be a bit easier since it’s all on me this year.)

Gordon was working overseas at this time so all of this was on me. I think I did a pretty good job considering. I also wore my silk pajamas as a way of cutting corners with my wardrobe. I wanted comfort, and I wanted to go straight to bed after the party. 🙂

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My Little Snoozing Snizzy 🙂

After a Big Day….

Veronica and Isabelle

(I love how Isabelle is looking at her mother here.)

Mistletoes 🙂

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My, Julie’s, Dinner Plate

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Christmas, 2023

Isabelle, Veronica and Brian

This is my Grand-Daughter’s First Christmas

(Cocktails and Cookies for Santa) 🙂

(My Favorite Christmas Gift. A Photo of Isabelle barefoot, on the beach, with a dress from Coco Moon that I bought her from Hawaii.) 🙂

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RECIPES START HERE

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Deck the Palms….

This year it was all on me to decorate, clean, create, and cook. Gordon did call in while we were opening gifts. 🙂 He is 8 hours ahead of us. It was his way of being with all of us, even though he is so far away working very hard.

I realize that we repeat a lot of recipes throughout our website. We do have our favorites that we enjoy year after year. So, for those who are our regular readers when I do the write ups for each Christmas, or Easter, or Thanksgiving, I do include all the recipes that we make for this meal whether we have made them in the past or not. This website page isn’t just for our regular readers, this is for any new people that may come to the website and want to know the recipes for all of the foods they see here.

Julie

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The Appetizers

I asked Mackenzie to put all of this together.

She did such a great job too!

I just bought some cheeses, meats, crackers, mustard’s, etc.

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The Haunted Mansion Slate is for Brian, we just used it here with our Apps.

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Mackenzie Put All of this Together Nicely

Everyone Digging In!

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Julie’s Kahlua Ham

w/ Caramel Topping

Brodie, Carving Our Ham

Ready, From The Oven

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Making My Kahlua Glaze

Ingredients:

1/4 Cup Brown Sugar

1/2 Cup Kahlua

2 T. Dry Mustard

Whole Cloves (Optional)

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I was also able to make this a day in advance.

Just place all the ingredients into a bowl and mix together.

(Minus the Whole Cloves.)

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Then Pour into a Jar and Store in the Refrigerator Until Use

(The Caramel Sauce you see above right, is for when the Ham is Cooking.)

My Ham

This is a pre-cooked Ham, probably about 10 pounds.

I have my pan and the rack inside of it and I am ready to place my ham in it and start cooking.

Every Ham comes with cooking instructions. You just want to follow those.

As you can see I am placing my Ham into the rack inside my pan.

And of course, you want to turn the oven on to whatever the instructions dictate.

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I start out baking my ham according to the package instructions. After about 30 minutes I remove my Ham and add some of my Kahlua Glaze.

(For now ignore the Caramel Sauce and the Cloves.)

Now it’s time to really start to add the Kahlua Glaze.

It will cook to such a nice sweet and crispy glaze.

I just keep adding the Kahlua Glaze every 15-20 minutes or so until it is all gone.

It was at this point that I tried to add the Whole Cloves.

I gave up because you couldn’t see them and I found it pointless at this time. I’m sure it would have looked better on a different type of Ham, but not this one.

Now it is almost ready!

Time to add the finishing ingredient:

The Caramel Sauce

I added most of this about 15 minutes before it was finished.

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The Ham Was Wonderful!

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My Orange Jezebel Sausages

Marinated in An Old Florida Jezebel (Sauce)

Click Here For: An Old Florida Jezebel (Sauce)

If you would like the recipe then just click on the link above and you can make your own.

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This is an easy and delicious recipe.

It’s just 2 ingredients:

Cocktail Sausages

and,

My Orange Jezebel Sauce

My Orange Jezebel and 4 Packs of Cocktail Sausages

You may use any sausages that you like. These are perfect for this recipe. They are Hillshire Farm Lit’l Smokies. I first drain them into a colander to remove any excess liquid.

Because I’m making 4 packs of the sausages, I am placing 2 packs of sausages in each bag, using about 1 jar per bag.

I start marinating these about 2-3 days before I will be cooking them. Just place them in some kind of plastic container in your fridge just in case the bag may leak. You just want to massage them around in the bag to make sure they are covered with the sauce.

When I am ready to cook them, I dump the entire bags of sausages into a colander to drain, then I place them into an un-greased casserole dish. I do not rinse them!

I then open up a new jar of my Orange Jezebel and add that to the sausages, making sure they are coated nicely with the sauce.

I then just stir them together…

…and then I place them into a 400F oven for about 35-40 minutes.

I do take them out after about 20 minutes or so just to stir them around.

You know they are done when they plump up.

I also love some of the charring as that is the sausages caramelizing.

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Drunken Devils on Horseback

(I originally discovered this recipe from Nigella Lawson’s Christmas Cookbook many years ago. It has been a holiday favorite ever since. We have also expanded the recipe to include Dried Figs and Fresh Dates.)

You don’t have to make them “drunken” if you don’t want to. You can omit the alcohol.

You just need a container, some Pitted Prunes, and some Brandy.

I soaked these about 2 days in advance of cooking them.

You can keep them in the refrigerator to marinate in the Brandy until ready to make.

The only other ingredient that you will need is the Bacon.

I drained the Brandy soaked Prunes into a Colander and placed them into a bowl.

Now I am Ready to Assemble my Drunken Devil’s on Horseback

I cut the Bacon into small sections long enough to wrap around each Prune and to secure with a toothpick.

I Placed Them Into a Container Until Ready to Cook

When Ready…

Turn the oven on 400F and place the DDOH on a lightly greased foil lined baking sheet.

(Even though there is bacon here to cook, sometimes they still stick. Therefore, I just very lightly spray the foil to ensure that they don’t.)

Ready for The Oven

(I have since learned to place a rack down over the foiled lined baking sheet so that the DDOH cook without touching the foil. They are crispier that way. I didn’t do that here, but I since have and it works so much nicer.)

My DDOH Left, My Orange Jezebel Sausages, Right

You just want to cook them for about 20-30 minutes until the Bacon is nice and crispy.

Right Out Of The Oven And Ready To Eat

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Sausage Balls

Every year our daughter wants us to make her a big batch of Sausage Balls for her to snack on through the holidays.

I will not be listing this recipe. It is a traditional one that I believe is written on the Bisquick Box. This recipe is only 3 ingredients and is so delicious!

Jimmy Dean Sausage, Mild and Hot, Bisquick, Grated Cheddar Cheese, and sometimes we use Freshly Ground Black Pepper and when they come out of the oven, a dash of Salt.

Store them into airtight containers in the refrigerator through the holidays.

You can also freeze them.

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Sausage Balls for Veronica, Along with a nice Platter and Plate

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Kahlua Baked Beans

I knew that my Kahlua would be perfect here because I always make my Baked Beans sweet with Brown Sugar. I altered my recipe a bit, but still kept to the true flavors that we all love.

Ingredients:

4, 1 lb. 6 oz. each Cans of Bush’s Grillin’ Beans, Bourbon and Brown Sugar

1 Package Bacon, Fried (Reserve 4-5 strips for garnish)

1, Medium to Large Onion, Chopped into small dice.

Splenda Brown Sugar Blend, about 1/2 Cup or to taste.

Chili Sauce 1/2 Cup or more, to taste.

About 2 T. Molassas

3/4 Cup Kahlua

1-2 T. Yellow Mustard

Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste

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I Fried My Bacon in Advance

I Drained the Liquid Out of the Cans of Beans

I Placed Everything Into a Large Mixing Bowl

I LOVE Molasses!

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Here I’ve Added My Beans, Yellow Mustard, Molasses, and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

My Kahlua and the Chili Sauce

Brown Sugar Is Here As Well

Time to Chop and Add the Onion

Stir Everything Together and Taste

(Here is where you can decide if you need more of this or that. I always test my mixture to make sure it is perfect, by dipping a Ruffled Potato Chip into the bowl.) 🙂

As I stated above, I fried the Bacon the day before, and placed it into a baggie to keep in the refrigerator until ready to add it here.

These Beans Can Be Made the Day Before

(This is a great recipe you can make ahead and it’s all set to bake when you are ready.)

I had this in the refrigerator overnight, covered with Saran Wrap.

Now, I’ve Removed it From the Fridge…

I’m Crumbling The Bacon into the Baked Beans…

Ready For The Oven

When I bring it out of the oven, I will place about 4-5 whole slices of Bacon on top.

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Traditional Deviled Eggs

I am not one to take the time to make Deviled Eggs beautiful, I just make them delicious!

Ingredients:

Hard Boiled Eggs

Mayonnaise

Yellow Mustard

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Sweet Pickle Relish or Chopped Olives

Pickle Juice

Dashes of Tabasco Sauce

Turmeric

Paprika

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This is a recipe that is up to personal tastes so I don’t give you amounts, I give you ingredients.

I will explain to you how I make them.

You first want to boil as many eggs as you want. I always boil extra just in case some don’t end up looking good. It is best to use older eggs, as in eggs that have been in your refrigerator for about a week and a half. They are much easier to peel once they have been boiled. Also, be sure to add some salt to your water when you boil the eggs. It is supposed to prevent them from running out of the shells if they crack for some reason.

When your eggs are done to your liking, remove them from the pot and place them into bowls of cold water in the sink, to stop the cooking process. Some people will place ice cubes into the bowls of cold water. It is apparently unattractive for eggs to have that ‘green ring’ in them when you boil them. I however, do not fear the green ring, it doesn’t bother me.

Once the eggs are done I place them into the refrigerator for a few hours to get nice and cold. Sometimes I will do this the day before, and then make my Deviled Eggs the following day. But, I do think they need to cool down significantly first.

When you are ready to make them, remove the eggs from their shells and make sure they have been rinsed so that no shell is still on them. Once your eggs are ready, slice them in half and remove their yolks and place into a mixing bowl. When I slice into each egg I do wipe the knife clean before I slice the next egg because of the yolk.

I’ve placed my Egg Whites onto a platter, and I’ve got my Egg Yolks in a mixing bowl. I find it best to mash them up with a fork.

I then eyeball the amount of ingredients that I want in my Deviled Eggs. I add the Mayonnaise, a tablespoon or so of Yellow Mustard, some Freshly Ground Black Pepper, a few dashes of Tabasco Sauce, and about a teaspoon of Turmeric. Turmeric kills cancer cells so whenever you can use it, I would. It is what makes Curry yellow. It will give your eggs a lovely golden color. Plus, Turmeric really doesn’t change the flavor of foods. It is kind of bland, but healthy.

I then stir in my Sweet Pickle Relish and sometimes I will add a dash or two of Dill Pickle juice.

I just mix everything together and then place the mixture into the cavity of the Egg Whites. Some people like to pipe the egg mixture into the whites and make them look beautiful. And they do a great job of it. It’s just that I don’t do that. I like doing them the same way I always have.

When you have all your eggs ready, place them into the refrigerator until you will be eating them.

The blue platter left is a gift to our son-in-law. His favorite food is Deviled Eggs.

Also, just add a pinch of Paprika to the eggs to give them some nice color, and flavor.

You can also snip some chives to add over top, and even some bits of bacon is nice. It’s all up to you!

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Kahlua Sweet Potatoes/Yams Casserole

A Sweet Potato/Yam Casserole is a holiday favorite whether it be for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Here, I wanted it to be simple and easy, but tasty with a traditional flare.

The Ingredients:

Cans of Yams

Kahlua

Brown Sugar

Regular Marshmallows

Pumpkin Marshmallows

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I’m not listing amounts because to me this is up to personal tastes.

I needed to make a lot to feed 5 adults, so I used 3 large cans of Yams.

I drained the liquid from the cans and placed them into an oven safe bowl.

I then added the amount of Brown Sugar and Kahlua that I wanted.

I then mixed it all together.

I added as many Marshmallows as I wanted to cover the top of the Yams. I then interspersed the Pumpkin Marshmallow’s all around.

I placed the casserole into a 350F oven really just to heat it all up and then melt the marshmallow’s. I should have placed the casserole dish in the bottom oven and not the top. The marshmallow’s plumped up so much that they were touching the oven coils, and burning. They then looked so ugly! Which is why I didn’t take a picture. However, everyone seemed to love them and ate them up.

After Everyone Had Dug In!

I never placed them on our Christmas Table because I thought they looked ugly, so they stayed in the kitchen. I do now wish that I had taken a photo of them. Most would have thought they were just toasted as we do on a camp fire.

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